A Bitcoin Insider On Crime, Congress And Satoshi Nakamoto
"This little baby — what my wife used to call my 'pretend money project' — is really going mainstream," says the chief scientist at the Bitcoin Foundation.
Business
Kids Pay The Price In Fight Over Fixing Philadelphia Schools
One of the nation's largest school systems has been pushed to the brink of insolvency. Not long ago, Philadelphia was touted as a "laboratory of innovation," a promising model for urban public education. But something went wrong. So who is responsible for the district's descent into academic and financial ruin?
Inside The Beef Industry's Battle Over Growth-Promotion Drugs
Beta agonists, a class of drugs widely fed to cattle and hogs to make them put on weight faster, are coming under increasing scrutiny. Reports suggest animals fed these drugs can seem reluctant to move — lethargic, unable to walk properly — and may die more often, too.
Medicare Project May Provide Better Care Less Expensively
Fort Dodge, Iowa, is not exactly what you'd think of as a hotbed of health care innovation. But the small town in the western part of the state is part of a Medicare pilot project that economists say could be a pathway to the holy grail of health care: providing better care at a lower cost.
What A Bitcoin Political Debut Could Mean For Transparency
The Federal Election Commission is expected to vote Thursday on a proposal to allow virtual currency contributions to political action committees.
How The Affordable Care Act Pays For Insurance Subsidies
The health care law is helping low- and middle-income Americans pay for their insurance. Where does that money come from? In part, it is a matter of the well-off helping pay for those who have less. But that's not the full answer.
Is It The End Of The Line For The Landline?
The U.S. landline network was once the best in the world. But these days, phone companies see them as a burden, an old technology too expensive to maintain. AT&T wants to start replacing the system with cheaper options. Some call it a hasty abandonment of the tried-and-true traditional network.
'You Just Get Used To It': An LA Commuter's Diary
About 10 percent of working Americans carpool to work. For two years, Neville Amaria was one of them. He spent two to three hours a day in the car with as many as four co-workers squeezed in alongside him. Now his office has moved closer to home. Here's an audio diary from the last morning of his carpool.
Bitcoin Hits Record High After Senate Panel Told It's Legal
The cyber-currency was at the center of a Senate panel hearing Monday. Senators are looking into the way Bitcoin was used by the illegal drug marketplace that called itself Silk Road. But even with the scrutiny, Bitcoin investors drove the virtual currency to record highs.
Already Outpacing Movies, Gaming Industry Still Looks To Expand
It's a big week for the video game industry; Sony just released the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft will release its new Xbox games console Friday. All Tech Considered is kicking off the week with a look at just how big the industry has become and who plays these days. Robert Siegel talks with industry expert John Davison. He's currently general manager of content and publishing for video game company Red Robot Labs.